Thank you, Les.
Alright, we’ll today we are going to talk about creating real relationships. Do you
have a real relationship with your customers? Are you saying you “love” your
customers but not really acting it out? Are you really listening, OR are you
offering mindless incentives as a cheap, tawdry attempt of having a relationship?
Well, today I want to talk about developing rich, meaningful relationships with
your customers. Relationships so deep that you both you and your customer
profit from this newfound love! Why is relational marketing so important with
Boomers and the mature market? Because they have seen it all and they have
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become desensitized! Oh, and by the way, even though we are at a conference
for active aging, you won’t frequently hear me mention age. That’s because I
believe that it’s about STAGE not AGE! In other words, what stage of life are you
at?

Being a good husband, wife, friend, or marketer is all about the process of
discovery. And TRUE discovery comes from conversation NOT from demographic
profiles. I can tell you personally; this is a problem most husbands and marketers
have. They are just not very good listeners. Women, do you ever have a
conversation with your husband, and then 5 minutes later he asks you a question
that proves he really wasn’t listening?
Why is listening so important? Because only through real listening . . . No even
deeper than that, only through probing, can we really discover what the needs,
goals and aspirations of the person we are speaking to really are. What stage of
life are they at? Trust me, you won’t get this off a mailing list.
And I use the word probe because most people are so use to not really being
listened to, so much so that they don’t really usually offer up their real thoughts.
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But listening is just the first step to building a deeper relationship. Once you
listen, you need to know how to respond to your new information so that you
can help the person.
I’m a big believer in the principals of influence as taught by Dr. Robert Cialdini, a
research professor out of Arizona State University, although if it were me, I’d
rename the principals, the principals of true love. Dr. Cialdini, who I actually hired
for a speaking engagement, and his team are brilliant. These principals are taken
directly from Dr. Cialdini’s book, I highly recommend each and every one in the
audience purchase and read “The Principals of Influence!”
Now remember, what I am about to teach you should only be used for the forces
of good.
Do I have your word? Good, Ok.
So anyway, here’s an easy way for you to remember the principals . . . CLASS R.
C – L – A – S – S – R.
Consistency. Once people publicly agree or say something out loud, they are
much more likely to hold to that agreement. Example? I happened to be
attending a New Year’s Eve party several years ago when one of my slightly
inebriated sisters decided to run a marathon as her New Years’ resolution. She
then made all of her siblings and family in attendance, including me, swear to join
her. And she did this in front of the rest of the party attendees. She then followed
up with frequent reminders of how we had all committed to run. Now, keep in
mind, that at the time we were all out of shape, didn’t believe in exercise, and
thought a good jog was from the couch to the refrigerator, so 26.7 miles was like
crazy talk!
And guess what it worked, four of us finished the marathon with her. Since then,
I used this same technique on myself and have publicly committed to running a
marathon in every state. There, I just did it again. In fact, I estimate that I’ll
complete this task when I’m 60.
According to Dr. Cialdini, if you want to ensure that a customer’s decision is long
lasting, and unshakable, make sure this decision is:

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1. VOLUNTARY
2. PUBLIC
3. ACTIVE
In other words, make sure that the customer is not strong armed. Nothing will kill
the possibility of a long-term relationship faster than a starving salesperson on
commission. But assuming all goes well, make sure that the customer does not
keep this decision a secret. Even if your customer just writes their commitment
down or signs his name, the decision will be stronger than before. And, if we
arrange for our customer to tell others, even other staff members, the decision
becomes even more permanent.
So what’s this mean to you?
Well, let’s use the contract process as an example.
Do you want to cut down your number of cancellations dramatically? Just have
your customer, rather than your salesperson, fill out the sales agreement. Why?
The mere act of filling out the contract creates a condition of consistency that
most people don’t want to break.
Then, tell the person you’re dealing with that you know they are an honorable
person. You might think that’s flattery, but I mean it when I say it and they can
tell I mean it, and it makes them feel honorable. Everyone wants to feel
important, and they want to measure up to other people’s expectations. In short,
they want my vision of them to be consistent.
Also, when a new member or resident signs up, I like to turn it into a celebration .
. . I introduce all the staff to the newest member . . . I take a Polaroid of us
together and hang it on the “family” wall. They’ve now committed in front of
other people. These photos become visual evidence or reminders that we have
made a commitment to each other. One that I consider sacred and will go out of
my way to honor --- ABOVE AND BEYOND! And the best part is that people want
to measure up to what they have said they would do. The hard part, but also the
part that is most fun, is that it is then in your court. You now have to over-deliver
because you want to be consistent with what YOU said!

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Liking:

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Liking. People are ready to be persuaded by people they like… Aside from the
staples of life, people don’t buy products, they buy relationships! Levels of liking
go up as people become more certain that we are listening. That’s why people
find the beginning of new relationships SO intoxicating. Because the other person
is still so engrossed with you.
Good listeners parrot back what the customer has said. “So when you say you
want a first-floor patio apartment home, tell me what’s important about it being
on the first floor? And research has show that the closer and more exactly you
parrot back what they have said, the higher the level of liking. Why does this
work? Because it requires true listening. Plus, as a forced discipline it will actually
improve your listening skills! After all, who’s the most interesting and important
person in the world to most people? That’s right, themselves! I’m telling you,
practice this technique on your spouse and you’ll enjoy a happier marriage.
There are several other factors that can influence people to like some people
more than others:
Physical attractiveness can give people a "halo" effect whereby others are more
likely to trust them and think of them as smarter and more talented. Think about
that as you are hiring people.
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People tend to like people who are most like themselves.
People tend to like those who pay them compliments.
People who they are “forced” to cooperate, i.e.. can you help me with this? tend
to form a trust with those people they “worked” with.
People tend to like people that make them laugh. For example, think about how
many lectures start with a joke.
Any one of the above methods may help influence people, but used in
combination, their effects can be magnified.
Dr. Cialdini talks about a technique most of us have personally experienced,
either through ourselves or our spouses, the most brilliant commercial
application of the liking rule. That’s right, it the Tupperware party, or Southern
Living, or jewelry party! The Tupperware party actually uses almost all of the
principals we have talked about or will talk about. How does the liking rule get
used at the Tupperware party? Well, women, you all know the gig. You attend a
party hosted by a friend, at her house. The Tupperware demonstrator shows you
lots of stuff you already own. Yet do you buy more of the stuff you don’t need?
YES! You do! Is the Tupperware demonstrator that good? Not usually. So why do
you buy? It’s simple, you buy because you like your friend AND because you
“owe” her for the party, so you buy something so that she can get her rewards!
Why do these work even when women clearly understand the principals at play?
I mean, they know it’s a trap, and yet they attend. Why? Because it’s her friend,
she has to go.

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Authority:

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Authority. Doctors have the highest rating, when people are surveyed about who
is most likely to influence them. Way higher than any other profession.
Incidentally, this is my one of my business partners, Dr. Gary Applebaum. TR
Mann Consulting is probably the country’s only marketing firm with their own
geriatrician . . . Hmmm . . . I wonder if that makes us superior experts on aging?
Hmmm ….
I can tell you that while Dr. Applebaum and I were at Erickson, some of our most
effective ads where “written” by Gary. How powerful is this principal? In the
Principals of Influence Dr. Cialdini talks about the Milgram experiments. In the
early 60’s, Dr. Milgram tested the ability of authority figures to instruct otherwise
normal, non-violent people to do unthinkable things. In fact, contrary to
expectations, a majority of civilian volunteers would obey orders to apply electric
shocks to another person until they were unconscious or dead. In Milgram’s
experiments, obedience tended to increase with the prestige of the authority
figure. Oh, and I should note, that those being shocked were in reality actors and
the shocks simulated.

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Of course, willingness to comply can be used for positive change. For example,
the surgeon general telling you to quit smoking is a good thing! Dr. Applebaum
telling you to exercise is a good thing!
So, who is your exclusive expert? Your Sales person? A Doctor? An Engineer?
Architect? Accountant? A resident or member?
How can you apply this principal? Uniforms, badges, clipboards – become the
expert. Also, add to your credentials by using press releases, videos, association
memberships, public speaking, framed licenses, honors . . . Etc., etc . . . You get
the point. I’m always very impressed when I go into Gary’s office, he must have
like 600 framed advanced education degrees.

Social Proof:

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When a number of people agree on something, we are likely to be persuaded
too. Apple knew what it was doing when it gave the first IPODs the glaring white
wires and base. Soon you were seeing this glaring white music makers
everywhere. How does your product or service demonsrate social proof? Have
others gone before me?

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How strong is this principal? Dr. Cialdini tells of a group of researchers who went
door-to-door in Columbia, South Carolina, soliciting donations for a charity
campaign and displaying a list of neighborhood residents who had already
donated to the cause. The researchers found that the longer the donor list was,
the more likely those solicited would be to donate as well. To the people being
solicited, the friends’ and neighbors’ names on the list were a form of social
evidence about how they should respond. But the evidence would not have been
nearly as compelling had the names been those of random strangers.
The fact is that persuasion can be extremely effective when it comes from peers.
The science supports what most sales professionals already know: Testimonials
from satisfied customers work best when the satisfied customer and the
prospective customer share similar circumstances.
Think about McDonald’s over 1 billion served . . .
Remember the Polaroid pictures I spoke of earlier? Both of these become visual
clues of social proof to new and old signups!
Do you have testimonials and letters posted around your office and in your
marketing materials?
Social proof makes perfect sense in a busy, overwhelming world. It’s proof that
others have done the thinking for us and it turned out alright.

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Scarcity:

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Scarcity. When supplies of something are short, we are more likely to want it! …
“it’s the last one in the shop!” For those of you without kids, this is a Nintendo
Wii, which is a beautiful example of planned scarcity. Amazing, isn’t it, how this
huge corporation somehow is always caught off-guard by the overwhelming
demand for their product. Hmmm?
Creating scarcity is a key to success. And being able to offer an exact number or
show scarcity, increases the power of scarcity.
Don’t think this is powerful? Let me give you an example:
I happen to know of a retirement community where customers who called in to
schedule visits were given overlapping appointment times.
When the people showed up for their appointments, they were often “in line”
waiting for the retirement counselor to see them. The busier the sales office was,
and the longer people had to wait (to a point), the more successful the sales
person became. Why? Because social proof and scarcity are two very powerful
principals. Grouping the appointments in a tight schedule was a strategic

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decision. You need to be very conscious in your efforts of “displaying” social
proof and scarcity. If you are not, you’re cheating your business.

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If someone gives something to us first, we are likely to respond with a bigger
favor. This obligation has staying power. Do something of value for your
customer and they will owe you a reciprocal action.
Dr. Cialdini uses a great example of one of his Arizona grad students trying out an
experiment. The student got a California phone book and at random selected
two-hundred names, which she then sent Holiday Greeting cards. Now
remember, these were people she did not know . . . living in another state!
Amazingly, holiday cards from the receivers flooded back in! These are people
sending cards to a person they did not know! Why? Because they owed her . . .
And because they didn’t want to admit they couldn’t remember her. Even more
amazing, is that she built real relationships with these people over the years. In
fact, when it was time for her son to attend orientation at Stanford, who do you
think he stayed with? That’s right, one of the “holiday card” people.
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So how can you use this principal to your favor? My favorite example of this is a
sales person who, during an appointment buys with a dollar out of his pocket, a
soda for himself and his guest. Why does this work? Because the power of
reciprocity is sooo strong!
I tell my retirement community clients, that instead of just having a coffee
machine in the corner of the sales office, the salesperson should make their guest
a cup of coffee, preferably in fine china. The whole experience should be a ritual
in service. “Would you like some cream? Sugar?” Although out of these two
examples, I would say the soda example is much stronger because the sales
person is paying for it out of his pocket. And therefore, the person owes HIM
something.
I have always said that the best way to engage reciprocity is through unmatched
customer service. The most loyal member base for health clubs, fitness centers,
wellness centers, and retirement communities is one created through
relationship marketing and strong customer service AFTER the sale. Which means
you pay more attention to them, and take better care of them, after they are
already your customer! This builds strong ties with your members - not one
strictly based on price. If you do it right, you'll actually have members sending
you business. After all, who doesn’t like to share a great deal with their friends?

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We all want to belong

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OK, now that you all have an understanding of the principals of influence, you
have a leg up on your competition. This basic understanding will give you the
ability to influence and build relationships.
And now for the meat of our conversation. Building relationships! As I already
told you, I’m a runner. Well, near my house there is a bagel shop and a running
shoe store that have banded together to create a tradition . . . The Saturday bagel
run. Every Saturday, for the last decade, a hundred plus runners gather together
at the starting point, which is right outside the running store. Why? Two reasons,
first the owner has kindly mapped running courses of all distances for people to
run. He understands the power of reciprocity. He even put together a book with
all the courses. Second, it’s a social event. You don’t have to run alone, you get to
run with like-minded people. We all want to belong. And when we’re done
running we all go to the bagel shop for a bagel and a coffee. Often followed up
with a trip to our favorite running store. Were we manipulated? No, I would say
we were done a favor. Remember at the beginning of my talk I showed you the
Harley tattoo? One of the smartest moves Harley ever did was the creation of the
HOG chapters. HOG is short for Harley Owners Group. These local chapters
frequently meet for rides together. Harley understands that people want to
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belong. So much so, that they’ll put permanent tattoos of their logo on their
bodies and clothes so that other Harley owners can recognize them.

Enlighten
Enrich
Engage
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At TR Mann Consulting, our team creates a newspaper for some of our clients.
The newspaper operates under the mantra of Enlighten * Enrich, and Engage.
Think about these three words very carefully. Enlighten. Enrich. And Engage. I
promise you, if you use these three words to guide your marketing efforts you
will start to build incredible relationships. Even better, forget about marketing,
use these words to guide all of your actions and you’ll start to experience major
success.
Let’s tackle the first word.

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Enlighten. This is an article written for Horizons about the tax credit. The purpose
was to enlighten our potential customers that “moment” in time was the
moment to sell their house. We were doing them a real service, by providing
them with real information. Horizons is written in a newsy, editorial manner with
very little traditional advertising. Our customers benefit immensely from the
goodwill created from providing real information.
Do you have this opportunity? You betcha. How about a monthly e-newsletter
brimming with valuable health tips? One that can easily be passed on to friends
and family. How about the example I gave you earlier, of the heart-healthy chef?
These sorts of actions will also go a long way towards establishing you or one of
your staff members as an expert and engaging reciprocity. And make sure your
experts’ and your salespersons’ photos are always included. You want your
perspective customer to feel like they know you when they come in for their
appointment. By the way, I should mention, that TR Mann Consulting will be
happy to provide your community with an estimate for their own newspaper.

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And remember, in addition to generating new customers, you are always trying
to enlighten, enrich, and engage those people who have already raised their
hands to say they are interested.
I should also point out a useful tidbit here, while we’re talking about information.
Several years ago, AARP in conjunction with the ICAA did a study on terminology.
For the record, the mature market reacted very negatively towards the term
“exercise” while the term “active” tested very positively. But I digress.

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Enrich. Here’s a PR clip from a retirement community where an inspirational
story about residents helping at the local school system was told. Was this
inspirational? Absolutely! Many retirees are searching for new meaning in their
lives. After all, society tends to devalue you once you retire. What’s the first
question someone asks you at a party? “So, who do you work for?” Well, these
stories don’t appear in the paper by accident, they are often guided by talented
PR people. And the effect? Seniors look at a story like this and go, “I want to be
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involved!” Very often their next thought is, “Man, I want to live at a place where
people are doing cool stuff!”
Think about it this way, have you ever placed an inspirational story about one
how your residents are enriching the lives of others … and how if you come to
live at your community the potential residents life will be engaged? PR is even
more powerful than advertising. It comes across as an unsolicited
recommendation. I guarantee you, the stories that you don’t yet know about
your members will amaze you. And even more importantly, getting to know your
members this deeply, so that you can discover these stories, will be even more
important than the PR itself. Your members will feel a real connection with you.
They know that they belong and are cared for. Plus, most people love being stars!
Hint: These stories are EASY to create, what about a team that runs a combined
1,000 miles on treadmills to raise money for charity? Do you think that would get
you some press?
What are some other ideas you all have done that have worked? . . . Ok, I’ll give
you some more ideas a little later!

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Engage. As many of you may know, GRAND Magazine is one of my clients.
GRAND is a national online magazine for today’s active grandparents. GRAND,
along with one of our advertisers, Humana, created a contest for the
GRANDparent of the Year award. This is an example of engaging GRAND’s readers
and Humana’s customers and potential customers. Incidentally, you can find
GRAND at GRANDmagazine.com.
Back to our last slide, think a fundraiser also counts towards involving your
customers? Absolutely, in fact, in that example, even members that don’t
contribute monetarily to the fundraiser can contribute by running or organizing.
The opportunities to involve your customers are endless. Don’t want to do a
fundraiser, how about a contest? . . . How about doing the TV show the Biggest
Loser at your gym, how about most miles, most days at the club?
Again, the possibilities are endless! Your goal is to get people engaged . . . To
belong!

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Letting the outside word in . . .

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Also remember that building relationships extends beyond your members. There
are plenty of opportunities to bring the outside world in.
First, have a strong website. Over 70% of people said they us the internet when
shopping for a health club. And remember, the 50+ audience is the fastest
growing group of health club members! Think of it this way, the internet has
replaced the yellow pages. Your site should provide people with the opportunity
to connect in many of the ways we already talked about. Also, consider
advertising group tours on your website . . . Pick a day . . . Say Saturday at 10:00
. . . People are looking for a low pressure group-setting to see the facility without
having to deal with a sales person. Also, make sure to have a customer service
email online. This can help you save the quiet but frustrated customers . . .
people you might not otherwise know are unhappy.
Some other ideas:
Pick a restaurant in your area and offer to provide a free pass or discount on a
product to any patron who purchases a pre-selected "healthily dinner." Dinners
you'd like to include could be red-tagged on the menu. Be sure to provide the
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restaurant - and the program - sufficient exposure in your community. Offer to
promote their business by exposing your members to a complimentary, hearthealthy cooking demonstration by their chef at the restaurant or at your
community.
What about hooking up with a local 5k organizer? You could provide special
senior-friendly training which will probably bring in new prospects . . . And youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll
also probably be able to get a complimentary sponsorship slot if you crosspromote.
Provide local groups free use of your facility during a time when you're normally
closed. Guests should sign in when they arrive, and you can follow up with
mailings. The groups must be responsible for their own activities, so there's little
to no cost to you besides keeping the facility open.
Present educational programs and lectures to local civic groups. These groups are
always hungry for luncheon speakers. Presentations should be low-key and
noncommercial - not a sales pitch for the club, but a generic talk about fitness or
some other mutual interest. You can always pitch the club afterward to the
people who are interested. The beauty of most low-cost promotions is that they
cost almost nothing to offer, and can generate impressive sales and prospects.
Offer to write a health column in your local paper. Media outlets are starving for
good, free, content.
Again, the possibilities are endless. You just have to use your imagination AND
then measure the results.

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E-mail: Building the relationship

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Ok. So we’ve established that I’m big on building relationships. Other than word
of mouth, what’s the cheapest form of relational advertising? E-mail. Why is a
systematic approach to email so important?
a) First, remember that the 'buying cycle' for retirement communities can be
anywhere from 6 months to 5 years. For health clubs it’s shorter but still often 6
months.
b) Email marketing is 100% more cost effective than any other form of marketing or
advertising (except word of mouth). Why? Because other than the cost of your
email marketing system, the only cost is your time. Plus, it’s better for the
environment! By the way, I use Constant Contact which is a great system.
On the other hand, print marketing and advertising is very expensive. Printing,
design, layout, postage, ad space, and media time...it all adds up pretty quickly.
As someone who has spent a ton of money on postage, I can tell you personally
that postage costs continue to climb at an astronomical pace.
Your goal is have your members opt in to your email campaign. To do that, you
need to create content of value. But, if you are skilled, email allows you to talk to

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them on a very personal level. The key is they need to opt in. NEVER, EVER email
to someone who has not given you permission!
The problem is, most organizations are terrible at collecting emails from their
clients. Few have a set plan in place to collect email addresses from current and
new members. Even fewer understand how to collect email addresses from their
prospects and visitors that come to their community, health club, or website.
I'd like to offer a few ideas that can help you build huge lists over a short period
of time:
Have a drawing, which you then publicized in your e-newsletter, for a lucky
subscriberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name to receive a lobster dinner for them and six of their friends at
your communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on-site restaurant. Make your guests understand how good
their odds are to win because this drawing is limited to just the visitors to the
community (I guarantee youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get over a thousand email addresses for just the
cost of 8 lobsters . . . A bargain). Do one of these lobster dinners every quarter.
Another easy way is to get the email address at the Luncheon registration table.
Just say that you will be emailing other luncheon and trip opportunities. But you
have to ASK!
Some other ideas? How about Sign-Up Slips? Just go get yourself a big fishbowl.
Next, tie some balloons to it. Place it on your counter. Create an 8.5" x 11" sign
detailing the contest and put it in a frame. Place slips of paper for them to
complete right in front of the fishbowl. Make the slip easy to complete --- name,
email, and whether or not they are a member.
Another good method? How about printed handouts advertising your website.
Explain to them they will receive valuable information on fitness, diet and
nutrition twice a month; along with special offers and promotions exclusively for
subscribers. Give one to every member or guest as they LEAVE. The flyer should
ask them to log on to your website, enter their name and email address.
And whatever incentive you are giving away, play it as big! To claim their on-line
prize or discount, have them print it out and bring it to the community as proof.
Also, when they bring the printout in to claim their prize, make a big deal out of it
. . . Celebrate so others see/hear about it . . . Further promoting the site.

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And last, but not least, if you want maximum email participation, send your
mailing list a letter to their home. Explain to your reader exactly what you’re
looking for them to do . . . Explain to them that you know that people are looking
for opportunities to be green. Be explicit in your request or directions. Most
importantly, make sure to tell them what’s in it for them.
This tool is great because it allows you to reach potential customers who haven’t
been to the community in a while. If you do this properly, you’ll be able to
capture their email. And then you can communicate with them regularly. Why is
this important? Because you can keep them updated on activities at the
community and important health tips. Remember, your words of encouragement
as an authority figure are HUGE and can go a long way in determining their longterm happiness. Think this will also help your retention figures?
And the easiest way to collect emails? Just have an automatic prompt on the
front desk computer. This way you and your team won’t forget. By putting the
registration process on autopilot, you can maximize your results with little effort.
Final Thoughts on email ...
Is it worth spending a couple of hundred bucks to get a few hundred email
addresses from your members and prospects? That’s a rhetorical question . . .
You should know the answer! Just remember, if you want something, you've got
to give something. Reciprocity is your friend, and it can help you get email
addresses.
Constant communication is a key to successful relational marketing!
And it’s easy! Remember, your members already know who you are and have a
level of 'trust' with you and your team. And your prospects are just one step
removed. They’re looking to trust you. Think about it, they are actively looking for
a retirement community or fitness center … which means they are actively
looking to engage. If you provide them when with real information of value they
will build a similar level of trust with you. The principal of reciprocity is in your
favor . . . Because you are going to give them something of real value. Plus, if you
play it right, you also have the principal of authority working in your favor on this
project.

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Communicating to your residents and prospects via e-mail is the most powerful,
personal and inexpensive form of marketing you can do. And once you've set up
you email system, it’s easy and automatic. Which means it will save you time . . .
and as we know, “time is money.” Just as importantly, it will make you money!
Yes, it will cost you some money to set up your email database, but once you
have it, it will return 100 times what you spent to get it.

ROI

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Of course, all of this requires a disciplined marketing and Return on Investment
approach.
First, I highly recommend that you pay close attention to your phone team.
Nothing will kill good marketing work faster than poor phone response. Everyone
on your team needs to have extensive response training. If you haven’t already
done so, sign your sales team up to participate in The Tuesday Morning Sales
Club. Remember, you are only as strong as your weakest link. In fact, I
recommend a secret shopper service for your phone calls, your email and your
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tours. With one important disclaimer, your team needs to believe this is a
teaching tool AND NOT a “gotcha” tool. Incent them for improved scores. You’ll
be amazed at what you learn.
Second, measure everything. Phone closing ratios, tour ratios, and your
investment in every marketing venture (time and money). Every lead should have
a lead source. Measure everything with the same passion that a good fitness
trainer measures your progress. Put ALL your marketing efforts on an Outlook or
Google calendar. And I mean all of them . . . Newspaper ads, radio ads, speaking
engagements and email campaigns. Remember, you’re looking to systematize.
That’s the only way you are ever going to learn what works and what doesn’t.
Especially when you consider this is a 3 month buying cycle. What you did 90
days ago, is going to determine your success today.

True Customer Service Is The Unexpected
Benefit that comes from true
understanding.

Pulling it all together.
The best marketers are the brands or companies that delight their customers
with the unexpected. How do they do this? By knowing their customers on a
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deeper, more meaningful way . . . Then digesting that information . . . And
coming back to their customer with creative surprises. And that word creative
just kind of hangs out there because true creativity requires work, it requires
brainstorming, it requires the conscious decision to go where your competitors
haven’t.
I love Oprah. In fact, she’s my personal hero. She is a natural relational marketing
genius. Think about it, she is consistent in her actions, she is likable – she is both
attractive and like us (she has battled weight and drugs). And because she has
battled with weight, drugs, relationships, and is wealthy, she is an authority. And
last but not least, she clearly understands the power of reciprocity. I mean here is
a lady who gives away cars, has a huge connection with charities, and constantly
provides valuable services and information like the book club. But it all stems
from her desire to delight! You see, the best marketers are givers!

“Try not to become a
person of success.

Rather become a person
of value.”
Albert Einstein

So in closing, follow Albert Einstein’s advice, “Try not to become a person of
success. Rather become a person of value.”